Halloween: Ancient origins and modern-day magic
By Judy Finkbeiner Johnson
In northern climes, the transition from the harvest season to winter has always been a dramatic one for its inhabitants. The landscape gives way from harvest shades, fall flowers, and in this area, bursts of glorious, brilliant colours in forests with sugar maple trees, as the season ushers in a darker palette.
The origins of celebrating this “between period” began more than 2,000 years ago in Ireland and Scotland when Ancient Celts observed Samhain. They believed that the boundary between the living and the dead was thinnest then.
This festival evolved into Halloween. Costumes are often ghoulish, devilish, or gruesome. Fantasy creations including princesses, angels, and animals also take to the streets in search of tasty treats.
A major iconic element is the Jack-O-Lantern. The legend of Stingy Jack rose from the fens, marshy areas in Ireland that produced gas, sending up wisps of eerie colours when it caught fire. Imagine how terrifying that was before scientific explanations!
Enter Stingy Jack, a bad man and drunkard. He made a huge mistake when he cheated the devil, who then condemned him to wander forever through darkness, giving him a single, glowing ember from Hell’s fire to light his way. Hence Jack-O-Lantern. People hollowed out turnips, beets, and potatoes large enough to carve a scary face that would scare away Stingy Jack and other evil spirits.
Waves of Irish and Scottish settlers arriving in the New World to escape potato famines in the mid-1800s were happy to find large, partially hollow pumpkins that were native to North America for their carvings.
Pumpkins are part of many fall traditions, including pie at Thanksgiving. There are pumpkin teas, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin cookies, breads, muffins, soups, and other menu items.
Pumpkins are part of our indoor and outdoor décor. They come in various shades including orange, yellow, creamy white, and even black. Plain, carved, painted, or decorated by young and old, they are visual treats.
A pumpkin and gourd artist, a former teacher creates hundreds of figures every year. Sharon Devine has her Pumpkin Hutch in the village of Brucefield, with finished products that earn rave reviews, as well as straw bales and pumpkins right from the field for budding artists.
“I am called the Pumpkin Lady and Mother Nature,” she said. “I have so many different types of creations. Kids love the scary ones; some people are looking for large outdoor decorations. Others choose smaller pumpkins decorated for table centerpieces or gifts.”
There’s a veritable monster mash located in Zurich; the large yard of Barb Jeffrey and Marty Isaacs is the canvas for an intriguing array of dozens of characters, from small to so large that they tower over viewers. In its seventh year, this is a labour of love. They begin by buying a mask and seeing how that particular face inspires the figure’s appearance. Retired master mechanic Marty creates wire frames for characters, builds sets, installs lights, motors, and sound boxes. Barb haunts thrift shops for wigs, accessories, and sources material to make intricate costumes.
Hundreds of people come each year from mid-October to Oct. 31 to see favourite figures and new ones. Lights go on in the display at 6 pm.
There are themed areas, like Frankenstein’s spooky lab, a pirate ship and crew including a sailor who often drinks non-stop. A skeletal horse pulls an old-fashioned hearse with a glass window displaying its passenger. A revengeful bride holds her dead husband who met a dreadful fate.
Some figures scream, talk, or moan. The doghouse door startles when it opens to a growling dog. Photo ops are everywhere.
Many people visit more than once: visitors come from nearby and hours away each year. A few have come as part of a trip from Switzerland or Germany. St. Boniface Catholic elementary school students visit to raise a few goosebumps and lots of giggles! Residents from Blue Water Rest Home enjoy the action too.
“We love doing this for the kids, and our community, and everyone who enjoys it every year,” Barb notes as she surveys the people’s reactions as they are viewing. “People make donations. All money and food donations go to the Zurich Blessings Community Food Bank to help with the growing issue of food scarcity.”
The ghoulish gallery is at the intersection of John and Mill Streets, just north of the Hensall to Zurich highway. Cars may park along the streets and happy family groups, friends, couples, and solo visitors can view from the sidewalk and enter the south lawn through the entrance flanked by gargoyles with glowing eyes.
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